Almost 70pc of Irish workers believe SMEs and start-ups offer best office culture

Almost 70pc of Irish workers would like to work in a small to medium-size enterprise (SME) or a startup, research has found – with respondents believing that startups and SMEs offer the best office culture.

Younger workers are also following this trend, with close to half of those aged under 25 preferring to work in an SME, and a further 20pc saying they would like to work in a startup.
Almost half of those surveyed stated that they would be more motivated to give up their free time and work longer hours for a smaller company.

The research, by One4all, which surveyed Irish employees’ attitudes towards office culture, wellness, and perks found that 39pc of those polled disagree with the statement that providing office perks, such as breakfast or snacks in the office, puts pressure on employees to work longer hours.
While salary is the most important factor for most people when looking for a job, a friendly work environment was deemed the next most important thing for Irish job-seekers.

Just 3pc of workers feel a strong company vision is an important factor in searching for a job, while just 5pc rate a company with a strong ethical/moral standpoint as being important to their job search.
“What’s interesting is a high number of workers feel motivated to work longer hours for a smaller company,” said One4all CEO Michael Dawson.

“People are happier to give up their hard-earned free time to help a smaller business flourish, which is a very positive thing for growing Irish companies, and for the Irish economy in general.”